The white walls of the hospital felt strangely smaller today.
Kami and Mizuki had finally been discharged.
But the real chaos wasn't inside the hospital—it was outside.
The entire world had already seen them on television.
Every news channel was running the same headline:
"Mysterious Survivors of an Unknown Incident."
At the same time, the mayor had taken the spaceship into his custody, claiming he needed to study its technology for the future of humanity.
But Kami knew one thing clearly—
this story was far from over.
Outside the hospital, Kami's friends were waiting for him.
Some were laughing, some were teasing him, and some were just relieved to see him alive.
Among them stood Mizuki, slightly away from the crowd.
She had hidden her face with a cap and a mask.
She couldn't step out openly.
If people found out that she was Mizuki from the richest family, the hospital would turn into a battlefield of cameras and fans.
Kami noticed her and understood immediately.
"Let's go," Mizuki said softly.
"It's better not to stay here for long."
After meeting his friends, Kami walked out with her.
At that moment, a luxury car stopped right in front of them.
Its shine alone was enough to steal attention.
The door opened—
the car was there for Mizuki.
She looked at Kami.
"Come with me," she said.
"I have so many things to talk about."
Kami smiled.
After so long… meeting an old friend again filled his heart with happiness.
Inside the car, there was a calm silence.
Looking out the window, Kami said,
"I never thought we would meet again."
Then he turned toward her.
"And when I found out you were that Mizuki—from the richest family… I couldn't believe it."
Mizuki gave a small smile.
"After that day, I came to that place many times… looking for you.
But you were never there."
Kami's voice grew heavy.
"When my mom and dad saw me in that condition,
they thought staying there wasn't safe anymore.
We moved to another place… and never returned."
For a while, neither of them spoke.
Then the conversation slowly continued—
about childhood, memories, and that night…
the night that still haunted them both.
The car finally stopped in front of a massive gate.
Kami looked outside.
A red carpet was spread across the entrance.
And in front of him stood something unbelievable—
A castle-like mansion.
People were standing in lines, ready to welcome them.
Kami was stunned.
"This… is your house?"
Mizuki nodded.
She helped him step out of the car.
The moment Kami entered, his eyes widened.
It was enormous.
Luxurious beyond imagination.
It felt like stepping into another world.
But Mizuki didn't take him upstairs.
She led him deeper inside the mansion…
toward the basement.
With every step down, the lights grew dimmer.
Only Kami, Mizuki, and her five guards were present.
Kami looked around.
"There aren't many people here… no decorations either.
Why does this place feel so different?"
Mizuki stopped walking.
"Because this is something…
only we are supposed to know about."
A heavy door opened.
Behind it—
A secret laboratory.
The moment Kami stepped inside, his head began to ache.
Broken images flooded his mind—
A man.
A woman.
Running.
Holding Kami in their arms.
People attacking them from behind.
Kami screamed and collapsed to the floor.
"Mizuki!"
His body trembled violently.
Suddenly, someone rushed forward and made Kami drink something.
Five seconds.
The pain faded.
Kami opened his eyes.
Standing in front of him was—
Dr. Atom.
Half of his face was made of machinery.
Mizuki took a deep breath and began explaining.
"Dr. Atom's time machine had crashed.
He came to me for financial help to repair it."
"He said… that in the future, I am his grandson's wife.
And because of my funding, the time machine was completed."
Kami froze.
"But that machine caused massive destruction in the future,"
Mizuki continued.
"I believed him only when he told me about the cube—
the one I found that night, falling like a shooting star."
Dr. Atom spoke calmly,
"In this timeline, there are five Dr. Atoms.
Each one is helping a different cube holder."
"One met Kami…
and one met Mizuki."
Kami suddenly remembered—
that night…
when both of them had seen Dr. Atom together.
Dr. Atom's voice turned serious.
"There is another laboratory you must visit.
Once you go there, Kami may remember everything…
or you may even be attacked."
"That place lies at the far end of the city.
No ordinary human is allowed to enter."
"Now go.
I must repair my time machine."
And with that, he sent them out.
As they stepped out of the basement, Kami exhaled deeply.
"So… what now?
Mizuki looked at him.
"Now we head for that lab."
Kami smiled faintly and summoned his sword.
"And you?" he asked.
Mizuki raised both her hands.
Bracelets appeared on her wrists.
A band-like armor wrapped around her legs up to her knees.
"The speed and strength you saw before—
they come from these," she said.
"And I'm a martial artist too."
Kami nodded.
They looked at each other.
Without another word…
they set out toward the mysterious laboratory
The city grew quieter as they moved farther away from the main roads.
Tall buildings slowly disappeared, replaced by broken streets and abandoned structures.
The air itself felt heavier—unnatural.
As they approached the last corner of the city, Kami suddenly slowed down.
His head began to ache again.
He pressed his fingers against his lab and took a deep breath.
"This place…" he muttered,
"It feels familiar."
Mizuki noticed his expression.
"Are you okay?"
"I think so," Kami replied, forcing a smile.
"This time, I'll control it."
As they moved forward, fragments of memories tried to rise again.
White walls.
Cold lights.
Voices arguing.
Mom… Dad…
Kami clenched his fist.
They were scientists.
This was their workplace.
Just then, he took out the medicine Dr. Atom had given him and swallowed it.
The pain eased—barely—but enough to keep walking.
The laboratory stood in silence.
No guards.
No lights.
No signs of life.
"Is this place… abandoned?" Mizuki whispered.
Kami didn't answer.
Something pulled him forward.
Inside, the corridors were damaged.
Broken equipment lay scattered across the floor, as if a violent battle had taken place.
Then Kami stopped.
A metal door stood in front of him.
On it was a nameplate.
Kami's breath stopped.
"…Mom. Dad."
Mizuki placed a hand on his shoulder but said nothing.
They entered the room.
Everything inside was destroyed.
Tables overturned.
Glass shattered.
Machines torn apart.
Then Kami noticed something written on the wall tiles—
a strange pattern of symbols.
To anyone else, it looked meaningless.
But Kami understood.
It was a coded language his mother had taught him when he was a child.
From here, move left. Press the fifth tile.
Kami followed the instructions carefully.
Click.
The ceiling opened slightly.
A small box fell down and hit Kami lightly on the head.
"Ouch…"
He picked it up and opened it.
Inside were two things—
A letter.
And a compass.
The letter was written in the same coded language.
Kami read silently.
Don't worry about us.
If you feel something is wrong around you, leave this place immediately.
Keep this compass with you. It will guide you when you are in danger.
Kami's hands trembled.
The compass was unlike anything he had seen before.
Ancient, yet beautifully designed.
Strange patterns were carved on its back.
"This belonged to your parents…" Mizuki said softly.
Kami nodded.
They moved deeper into the lab.
At the end of the corridor was a large office—
the head researcher's room.
Kami pushed the door open.
A chair stood in the center of the room.
Someone was sitting on it.
Kami's eyes burned with anger.
"Who are you?!" he shouted.
The figure didn't respond.
Didn't even turn around.
Kami's rage exploded.
He rushed forward and punched the figure straight in the face.
The head fell to the ground.
Metal clanged.
Kami froze.
"…A robot?"
Or maybe not a robot—
more like a switch.
Something designed to activate a system.
Suddenly—
BEEP—BEEP—BEEP
The compass in Kami's hand began vibrating violently.
The entire lab started shaking.
On the compass surface, red dots appeared.
Many of them.
All moving toward the center.
Toward Kami's location.
"What's happening?!" Mizuki shouted.
The walls cracked.
The ceiling began to collapse.
"Run!" Kami yelled.
They sprinted outside just as the lab started collapsing behind them.
Once outside, everything felt… wrong.
There was nothing around them.
No fire.
No monsters.
Only emptiness.
But the compass kept beeping.
More red dots appeared—
their number increasing rapidly.
"Why can't we see anything?" Mizuki asked, panicking.
Kami stared at the compass.
Then he noticed something new.
A single green dot appeared.
As it moved, the red dots began disappearing.
Kami's eyes widened.
"There's a boundary here," he realized.
"A wall… that hides what's outside."
Before Mizuki could stop him, Kami stepped forward and crossed it.
The moment his head went past the boundary—
Flames.
The sky was burning.
Flying monsters filled the air.
A terrifying aura crashed into him like a wave.
Kami screamed and was thrown back inside the boundary, collapsing onto the ground.
Mizuki rushed to him.
"Kami!"
Before he could stand up again—
The compass stopped beeping.
All the red dots vanished.
Kami slowly got back on his feet.
Together, they stepped outside again.
This time, everything was calm.
No monsters.
No chaos.
Only something in the distance—
A trail of fire moving away.
Like a creature wrapped in flames, disappearing into the dark sky.
Kami tightened his grip on the compass.
"This isn't over," he said quietly.
Mizuki nodded.
Somewhere beyond that boundary…
Something had awakened.
And it was watching them.
End of Chapter 11